reigning　political　party。
  The　country　was　mainly　governed　by　a　ministry　which　went　out　with　the
  administration　that　created　it。　　This　was　also　the　case　with　the　chiefs
  of　the　great　departments。　　Minor　officials　ascended　to　their　several
  positions　through　well…earned　promotions；　and　not　by　a　jump　from　gin…
  mills　or　the　needy　families　and　friends　of　members　of　parliament。　　Good
  behaviour　measured　their　terms　of　office。
  The　head　of　the　governments　the　Grand　Caliph；　was　elected　for　a　term　of
  twenty　years。　　I　questioned　the　wisdom　of　this。　　I　was　answered　that　he
  could　do　no　harm；　since　the　ministry　and　the　parliament　governed　the
  land；　and　he　was　liable　to　impeachment　for　misconduct。　　This　great　office
  had　twice　been　ably　filled　by　women；　women　as　aptly　fitted　for　it　as　some
  of　the　sceptred　queens　of　history。　　Members　of　the　cabinet；　under　many
  administrations；　had　been　women。
  I　found　that　the　pardoning　power　was　lodged　in　a　court　of　pardons；
  consisting　of　several　great　judges。　　Under　the　old　regime；　this　important
  power　was　vested　in　a　single　official；　and　he　usually　took　care　to　have　a
  general　jail　delivery　in　time　for　the　next　election。
  I　inquired　about　public　schools。　　There　were　plenty　of　them；　and　of　free
  colleges　too。　　I　inquired　about　compulsory　education。　　This　was　received
  with　a　smile；　and　the　remark：
  〃When　a　man's　child　is　able　to　make　himself　powerful　and　honoured
  according　to　the　amount　of　education　he　acquires；　don't　you　suppose　that
  that　parent　will　apply　the　compulsion　himself？　　Our　free　schools　and　free
  colleges　require　no　law　to　fill　them。〃
  There　was　a　loving　pride　of　country　about　this　person's　way　of　speaking
  which　annoyed　me。　　I　had　long　been　unused　to　the　sound　of　it　in　my　own。
  The　Gondour　national　airs　were　forever　dinning　in　my　ears；　therefore　I
  was　glad　to　leave　that　country　and　come　back　to　my　dear　native　land；
  where　one　never　hears　that　sort　of　music。
  A　MEMORY；
  When　I　say　that　I　never　knew　my　austere　father　to　be　enamoured　of　but　one
  poem　in　all　the　long　half　century　that　he　lived；　persons　who　knew　him
  will　easily　believe　me；　when　I　say　that　I　have　never　composed　but　one
  poem　in　all　the　long　third　of　a　century　that　I　have　lived；　persons　who
  know　me　will　be　sincerely　grateful；　and　finally；　when　I　say　that　the　poem
  which　I　composed　was　not　the　one　which　my　father　was　enamoured　of；
  persons　who　may　have　known　us　both　will　not　need　to　have　this　truth　shot
  into　them　with　a　mountain　howitzer　before　they　can　receive　it。　　My　father
  and　I　were　always　on　the　most　distant　terms　when　I　was　a　boya　sort　of
  armed　neutrality　so　to　speak。　　At　irregular　intervals　this　neutrality　was
  broken；　and　suffering　ensued；　but　I　will　be　candid　enough　to　say　that　the
  breaking　and　the　suffering　were　always　divided　up　with；　strict
  impartiality　between　uswhich　is　to　say；　my　father　did　the　breaking；　and
  I　did　the　suffering。　　As　a　general　thing　I　was　a　backward；　cautious；
  unadventurous　boy；　but　I　once　jumped　off　a　two…story　table；　another　time
  I　gave　an　elephant　a　〃plug〃　of　tobacco　and　retired　without　waiting　for　an
  answer；　and　still　another　time　I　pretended　to　be　talking　in　my　sleep；　and
  got　off　a　portion　of　a　very　wretched　original　conundrum　in　the　hearing　of
  my　father。　　Let　us　not　pry　into　the　result；　it　was　of　no　consequence　to
  any　one　but　me。
  But　the　poem　I　have　referred　to　as　attracting　my　father's　attention　and
  achieving　his　favour　was　〃Hiawatha。〃　　Some　man　who　courted　a　sudden　and
  awful　death　presented　him　an　early　copy；　and　I　never　lost　faith　in　my　own
  senses　until　I　saw　him　sit　down　and　go　to　reading　it　in　cold　bloodsaw
  him　open　the　book；　and　heard　him　read　these　following　lines；　with　the
  same　inflectionless　judicial　frigidity　with　which　he　always　read　his
  charge　to　the　jury；　or　administered　an　oath　to　a　witness：
  Take　your　bow；
  O　Hiawatha；
  Take　your　arrows；　jasper…headed；
  Take　your　war…club；　Puggawaugun；
  And　your　mittens；　Minjekahwan；
  And　your　birch　canoe　for　sailing；
  And　the　oil　of　Mishe…Nama。〃
  Presently　my　father　took　out　of　his　breast　pocket　an　imposing　〃Warranty
  Deed；〃　and　fixed　his　eyes　upon　it　and　dropped　into　meditation。　　I　knew
  what　it　was。　　A　Texan　lady　and　gentleman　had　given　my　half…brother；　Orrin
  Johnson；　a　handsome　property　in　a　town　in　the　North；　in　gratitude　to　him
  for　having　saved　their　lives　by　an　act　of　brilliant　heroism。
  By　and　by　my　father　looked　towards　me　and　sighed。　　Then　he　said：
  〃If　I　had　such　a　son　as　this　poet；　here　were　a　subject　worthier　than　the
  traditions　of　these　Indians。〃
  〃If　you　please；　sir；　where？〃
  〃In　this　deed。〃
  〃Yesin　this　very　deed；〃　said　my　father；　throwing　it　on　the　table。
  〃There　is　more　poetry；　more　romance；　more　sublimity；　more　splendid
  imagery　hidden　away　in　that　homely　document　than　could　be　found　in　all
  the　traditions　of　all　the　savages　that　live。〃
  〃Indeed；　sir？　　Could　Icould　I　get　it　out；　sir？　　Could　I　compose　the
  poem；　sir；　do　you　think？〃
  〃You？〃
  I　wilted。
  Presently　my　father's　face　softened　somewhat；　and　he　said：
  〃Go　and　try。　　But　mind；　curb　folly。　　No　poetry　at　the　expense　of　truth。
  Keep　strictly　to　the　facts。〃
  I　said　I　would；　and　bowed　myself　out；　and　went　upstairs。
  〃Hiawatha〃　kept　droning　in　my　headand　so　did　my　father's　remarks　about
  the　sublimity　and　romance　hidden　in　my　subject；　and　also　his　injunction
  to　beware　of　wasteful　and　exuberant　fancy。　　I　noticed；　just　here；　that　I
  had　heedlessly　brought　the　deed　away　with　me；　now　at　this　moment　came　to
  me　one　of　those　rare　moods　of　daring　recklessness；　such　as　I　referred　to
  a　while　ago。　　Without　another　thought；　and　in　plain　defiance　of　the　fact
  that　I　knew　my　father　meant　me　to　write　the　romantic　story　of　my　half…
  brother's　adventure　and　subsequent　good　fortune；　I　ventured　to　heed
  merely　the　letter　of　his　remarks　and　ignore　their　spirit。　　I　took　the
  stupid　〃Warranty　Deed〃　itself　and　chopped　it　up　into　Hiawathian　blank
  verse　without　altering　or　leaving　out　three　words；　and　without
  transposing　six。　　It　required　loads　of　courage　to　go　downstairs　and　face
  my　father　with　my　performance。　　I　started　three　or　four　times　before　I
  finally　got　my　pluck　to　where　it　would　stick。　　But　at　last　I　said　I　would
  go　down　and　read　it　to　him　if　he　threw　me　over　the　church　for　it。
  I　stood　up　to　begin；　and　he　told　me　to　come　closer。　　I　edged　up　a　little；
  but　still　left　as　much　neutral　ground　between　us　as　I　thought　he　would
  stand。　　Then　I　began。　　It　would　be　useless　for　me　to　try　to　tell　what
  conflicting　emotions　expressed　themselves　upon　his　face；　nor　how　they
  grew　more　and　more　intense；　as　I　proceeded；　nor　how　a　fell　darkness
  descended　upon　his　countenance；　and　he　began　to　gag　and　swallow；　and　his
  hands　began　to　work　and　twitch；　as　I　reeled　off　line　after　line；　with　the
  strength　ebbing　out　of　me；　and　my　legs　trembling　under　me：
  THE　STORY　OF　A　GALLANT　DEED
  THIS　INDENTURE；　made　the　tenth
  Day　of　November；　in　the　year
  Of　our　Lord　one　thousand　eight
  Hundred　six…and…fifty；
  Between　Joanna　S。　E。　Gray
  And　Philip　Gray；　her　husband；
  Of　Salem　City　in　the　State
  Of　Texas；　of　the　first　part；
  And　O。　B。　Johnson；　of　the　town
  Of　Austin；　ditto；　WITNESSETH：
  That　said　party　of　first　part；
  For　and　in　consideration
  Of　the　sum　of　Twenty　Thousand
  Dollars；　lawful　money　of
  The　U。　S。　　of　Americay；
  To　them　in　hand　now　paid　by　said
  Party　of　the　second　part；
  The　due　receipt　whereof　is　here…
  By　confessed　and　acknowledg…ed
  Having　Granted；　Bargained；　Sold；　Remised；
  Released　and　Aliened　and　Conveyed；
  Confirmed；　and　by　these　presents　do
  Grant　and　Bargain；　Sell；　Remise；
  Alien；　Release；　Convey；　and　Con…
  Firm　unto　the　said　aforesaid
  Party　of　the　second　part；
  And　to　his　heirs　and　assigns
  Forever　and　ever　ALL
  That　certain　lot　or　parcel　of
  LAND　situate　in　city　of
  Dunkirk；　County　of　Chautauqua；
  And　likewise　furthermore　in　York　State
  Bounded　and　described；　to…wit；
  As　follows；　herein；　namely
  BEGINNING　at　the　distance　of
  A　hundred　two…and…forty　feet；
  North…half…east；　north…east…by　north；
  East…north…east　and　northerly
  Of　the　northerly　line　of　Mulligan　street
  On　the　westerly　line　of　Brannigan　street；
  And　running　thence　due　northerly
  On　Brannigan　street　200　feet；
  Thence　at　right　angles